Rise in complications of acute otitis media during and after the COVID-19 pandemic

European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, vol. 281, pp. 4627–4633

Abstract

PURPOSE: After the lifting of nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) during the COVID-19 pandemic, clinical observation showed an increase in complications of acute otitis, followed by a rise in the number of mastoidectomies performed. The aim of this study was to record the number of mastoidectomies performed before, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic as an indicator for complications of acute otitis media. METHODS: Data were collected from a tertiary hospital in a university setting, as well as from four major public health insurance companies in Germany. The data of 24,824,763 German citizens during a period from 2014 until 2023 were analyzed. RESULTS: According to the data, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of mastoidectomies performed dropped by 54% for children aged 0-6 and by 62% for children aged 7-18. For adults, there were 30% fewer mastoidectomies performed between 2020 and 2022. After the lifting of most NPI's in the season from July 2022 to June 2023, there was a sharp increase in the number of mastoidectomies performed on patients of all ages. CONCLUSIONS: During the COVID-19 pandemic, a decrease in the number of mastoidectomies performed was seen, suggesting a lower incidence of complicated acute otitis, most likely linked to the general decrease of upper airway infections due to NPI's. In contrast, a sharp increase in the incidence of complicated otitis occurred after the hygiene measures were lifted. The current development causes a more frequent performance of mastoidectomies, thus entailing a change in the challenges for everyday clinical practice.

Authors 6

1. Hannes Hollborn corresponding

   Universitätsmedizin Rostock

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery "Otto Körner", Rostock University Medical Center, Doberaner Straße 137-139, 18057, Rostock, Germany. hannes.hollborn@med.uni-rostock.de

   Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery "Otto Körner", Rostock University Medical Center, Doberaner Straße 137-139, 18057, Rostock, Germany

2. Christoph Lachmann Aachen Department of Otorhinolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery

   RWTH Aachen University · Universitätsklinikum Aachen

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Aachen University Medical Center, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany

3. Daniel Strüder

   Universitätsmedizin Rostock

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery "Otto Körner", Rostock University Medical Center, Doberaner Straße 137-139, 18057, Rostock, Germany

4. Sara Maria van Bonn

   Universitätsmedizin Rostock

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery "Otto Körner", Rostock University Medical Center, Doberaner Straße 137-139, 18057, Rostock, Germany

5. Robert Arndt Mlynski

   Universitätsmedizin Rostock

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery "Otto Körner", Rostock University Medical Center, Doberaner Straße 137-139, 18057, Rostock, Germany

6. Sebastian Philipp Schraven Aachen Department of Otorhinolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery

   RWTH Aachen University · Universitätsklinikum Aachen

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Aachen University Medical Center, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany